Bird Feeder Cleaning
WASH – RINSE - REFILL
Seattle Audubon recommends cleaning
your bird feeder with hot, soapy water at
least weekly. Let dry thoroughly and
replace with seed. Consider rotating with a
second feeder while one is being washed.
Be sure to rake the ground under the feeder
to remove any spilled seed and droppings.
Wear gloves when cleaning feeders or
when handling sick or dead birds. Should
you observe sick birds at your feeder(s),
please:
Take down your feeder(s)
Clean them thoroughly
Call the Nature Shop for advice
Put back your feeders after two
weeks
Hummingbird
Nectar Recipe
One part sugar to four parts water creates an
ideal nectar for hummingbirds. Bring the
water to a boil, remove from heat, and add
the sugar, ensuring it dissolves. Let the
nectar cool before filling feeders. Store
excess in refrigerator. Depending upon the
season, change the nectar as frequently as
every few days to discourage the growth of
bacteria.
Have a question about birds?
Call The Nature Shop: 206-523-4483
What is
Seattle Audubon?
Founded in 1916, Seattle Audubon members
and volunteers have continually worked for
the protection, restoration, and preservation
of natural habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Join us!
The Nature Shop: Your
Complete Wild Bird Resource
Monday-Saturday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hundreds of nature-related gifts, books, and the
region’s best selection of binoculars and
spotting scopes can be found along with
specially selected seed for Pacific Northwest
birds. All proceeds benefit the programs of
Seattle Audubon.
The Seattle Audubon Center
and Nature Shop
8050 35th Avenue NE
Seattle, Washington 98115
Contact us!
Call: 206-523-4483
Email: info@seattleaudubon.org
On the Web: www.seattleaudubon.org
Seattle Audubon Society
is a non-profit,
501(c)(3) organization. All gifts are
tax-deductible.
Backyard
Bird Feeding
A Guide from
The Seattle
Audubon
Nature Shop
With a few simple changes,
you can increase the number
and variety of bird species
visiting your yard and help
compensate for the loss of
precious habitat in Seattle and
King County.
The Nature Shop - 2015
Attract More Birds
to Your Yard
You can increase the number and variety
of avian visitors to your backyard by
putting up feeders, providing a water
source, and planting bird- and wildlife-
friendly native plants appropriate for the
Seattle area. Learn more:
Seattle Audubon’s Gardening for
Life brochure
Russell Link’s Landscaping for
Wildlife
Go to seattleaudubon.org and click
on Learn About Birds
In addition to the common backyard
birds listed in the table, you may see
“accidentals,” birds that arrive because of
bad weather or other factors. Avian
predators, such as Sharp-shinned Hawks,
Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and
Merlins also visit backyards.
It is always helpful to keep a good field
guide handy to help identify that new bird
for your backyard list. We recommend the
National Geographic Field Guide to North
American Birds, 6th Ed., Petersons Field
Guide to Western Birds and Sibley Field
Guide to Birds of Western North America.
All of these books, and more, are available
at the Seattle Audubon Nature Shop.
Seattle’s
Backyard
Birds
Seasonality
Ground
Feeder
Black-oil
Sunflower
Hulled
Sunflower
Seed
with
Millet
Suet
Fruit
Peanuts
Rock Pigeon
Year round
Woodpeckers (incl.
Northern Flicker)
Year round
Steller’s Jay
Year round
American Crow
Year round
Black-capped
Chickadee
Year round
Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
Year round
Bushtit
Year round
Red-breasted
Nuthatch
Year round
Brown Creeper
Year round
Bewick’s Wren
Year round
American Robin
Year round
Varied Thrush
Seasonal
Cedar Waxwing
Seasonal
Yellow-rumped
Warbler
Seasonal
Townsend’s
Warbler
Seasonal
Wilson’s Warbler
Seasonal
Spotted Towhee
Year round
Song Sparrow
Year round
White-crowned
Sparrow
Year round
Golden-crowned
Sparrow
Seasonal
Dark-eyed Junco
Year round
Western Tanager
Seasonal
Black-headed
Grosbeak
Seasonal
House Finch
Year round
Pine Siskin
Year round
American Goldfinch
Seasonal
For more information on any of these birds, including their seasonality, go to BirdWeb.
Edited August 2015